Archaeology Notes

Event ID 687338

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/687338

NO40NW 3 4095 0733.

(NO 4095 0733) Norries Law (Tumulus) (NR) Silver Ornaments found (AD 1819-22)

OS 6" map (1920)

The tumulus on Norrie's Law stands on the summit of a ridge. It has been severely mutilated, but from the descriptions given it appears to have been a mound 53 feet in diameter surrounded by a circular trench, 16 feet wide inside of which was a rough wall of boulders, and inside that again a second and concentric walling of stones, the space between these being filled with earth. Within the second wall, the body of the mound proved to be a cairn of stones.

Several stone cists, yielding burnt bones and a small urn, were found in the tumulus, and in 1819-22 a hoard of silver ornaments and pieces of thin silver plate, were found in, or near, a cist at the base of the Law.

In 1925 the tumulus rose to a height of approximately 12 feet from the surrounding level of the much destroyed trench on the north and north-west, and was spread to a diameter of 60 feet.

RCAHMS 1933; J Anderson nnnn; D Wilson

The silver hoard is probably 7th to 8th century AD. The items were apparently found in a sandpit at the foot of Norrie's Law, at different times.

J Stuart 1856

The silver ornaments and fragments of silver plate are in the NMAS (Acc. Nos: FC 30, 33 and 34).

J R Allen and J Anderson 1903

Norrie's Law is generally as described by RCAHMS. The maximum height of the mound is 4.3m on the NW side. The surrounding trench has been ploughed out.

Visited by OS (RDL) 18 October 1962

The dog's head symbol on the pair of silver plaques from the hoard is typologically very close to the Lindisfarne dogs. A date about AD 700 or later is therefore suggested, on the supposition that the Lindisfarne artist was the originator, but the perhaps less likely alternative that the Lindisfarne animals are due to Pictish influence would affect the dating little. Other silver articles in the hoard might be of earlier dates.

F T Wainwright 1955.

Silver repousse dish in 'boss style'.

L Laing and J Laing 1986.